decamp

[ dih-kamp ]

verb (used without object)

1. to depart from a camp; to pack up equipment and leave a camping ground:

   We decamped before the rain began.

2. to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously:

   The band of thieves decamped in the night.

decamp

/ dɪˈkæmp /

verb

1. to leave a camp; break camp
2. to depart secretly or suddenly; abscond

Derived Forms

• deˈcampment, noun

Other Words From

• de·campment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decamp¹

1670–80; < French décamper, equivalent to dé- dis- ¹ + camper to encamp; camp ¹

Example Sentences

Once a year growing up, my family would decamp to Lake Taupo for trout season.

From Eater

Elizabeth decamped to Britain along with her companion and ward, Kitty, whom she adopted as a child.

From Washington Post

By 2020, the paper’s prize-winning investigative reporter and some of its top editors had decamped to a new, nonprofit newsroom, Mountain State Spotlight.

From Washington Post

Peter took precautions before and during his flights to Richmond, and if the in-person connection with Betty proved flimsy, he figured he could always decamp to his mother’s place.

From Washington Post

Most decamped to more encrypted messaging apps after Parler, a social app popular with conservatives, went offline when Amazon pulled its hosting services.

From Time

Within a couple of years he intends to decamp for either San Diego or San Francisco.

From The Daily Beast

For starters, you must eliminate excess, so, if you wished, you could decamp on a dime.

From The Daily Beast

Since the evening before, aides-decamp, leaving the governor's palace, galloped in every direction.

From Project Gutenberg

To "shoot the moon," as the English say, is to decamp from a house without paying the rent.

From Project Gutenberg

A pleasant sight it was, to behold the prelates occupied in hunting him, for he would not decamp!

From Project Gutenberg

All at once it struck me that if I really frightened him too much they might decamp without making a clean sweep.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Farrar is housekeeper, and 'tidies up' with such vigour that his three comrades threaten to give up their lodgings and decamp.

From Project Gutenberg